Homemade Apple Cider - Instant Pot | Stovetop

Homemade Apple Cider: Made with fresh sweet, tart apples, orange, ginger, aromatic cinnamon, cloves, and star anise. The perfect beverage to enjoy this fall and during winter!

You can make this cider in an instant pot or on a stovetop. It is so easy to make, and with just a few ingredients you can make the best cider at home.

Making homemade apple cider from scratch is way easier than you may think. I love this dump-and-go recipe to make homemade apple cider, super easy, inexpensive and tastes 1000 times better than the store-bought ones.

I love to make this apple cider in Instant Pot. It is so much quicker and the best part is required zero monitoring. I add all the ingredients to the pot, and pressure cook it, it is that simple.

This is one of the best fall beverages I often make at home, so soothing and bursting with all the fall flavors. Try this easy one-pot recipe to make your very own homemade apple cider this fall and enjoy it with your family and friends.

Love apples? Try this easy Apple Cake Recipe and Apple Cranberry Chutney, so good!

Jump to:

• About Apple Cider
• Ingredients For Homemade Apple Cider
• How To Make Apple Cider In Instant Pot
• How To Make Apple Cider Butter From Leftover Cider Pulp
• Tips For Best Homemade Apple Cider
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Fall Favorites
• Homemade Apple Cider - Instant Pot | Stovetop

About Apple Cider

Apple cider (also known as cider, or sweet cider) is a non-alcoholic beverage made by pressing the apples. It is an unfiltered, unsweetened liquid, extracted from the apples. Cider is the best fall and holiday beverage, easy to make at home, economical, and way better than the store-bought ones.

Store-bought apple cider is way sweeter for our taste. Homemade apple cider is easily customizable, and the best part is I know exactly what's in the making of the cider. We love this all-natural, pure homemade apple cider.

Ingredients For Homemade Apple Cider

8 medium apples, cored and quartered (mix of Gala, Honey Crisp, Granny Smith)

1 orange, quartered

½ inch ginger, grated (optional)

3-4 cinnamon sticks or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

8-10 whole cloves or ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

1-star anise

8 cups of water, (enough to cover the fruits)

2 tablespoons Maple syrup, brown sugar, or sweetener of choice, adjust to taste

Pic Shown: Homemade Apple Cider 

How To Make Apple Cider In Instant Pot

You will need an Instant Pot, a fine mesh sieve

Add cut apples, oranges, and grated ginger into the inner pot.

Add whole spices - cinnamon stick, cloves, and star anise.

Fill the pot with enough water to cover the fruits. Close the lid, vent sealed.

Set it on MANUAL / PRESSURE COOK (high) for 15 minutes. Followed by 10 minutes of natural pressure release and then release the remaining pressure manually.

Strain the cider using a fine-mesh sieve. Press the fruits while straining to release the juices. Work in batches, if required. Discard or reserve the pulp to make homemade apple cider butter.

Note: See below for, a recipe for homemade apple cider butter from the leftover pulp.

Add some maple syrup, brown sugar, or sweetener of your choice. Mix well.

Note: If using sugar, simmer the cider for a couple of minutes.

Serve warm or cold. Store apple cider in a clean, airtight container. Cider stays good for up to a week in the refrigerator or freezer for up to 2 months.

Stovetop Recipe For Apple Cider

Add all the ingredients to a pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for around 2 hours, or until the apples are soft and mushy. The rest of the recipe is the same as Instant Pot.

Pic Shown: Instant Pot Apple Cider 

How To Make Apple Cider Butter From Leftover Cider Pulp

Discard the orange peel and whole spices from the leftover pulp.

In a blender, blend the pulp into a smooth puree.

Transfer the puree to a pan. Simmer the puree for 10-15 minutes, or until all the moisture has evaporated and the mixture thickens quite a bit, just like butter consistency.

Add ground cinnamon, and maple syrup or preferred sweetener, adjust to taste. Mix well.

Cool completely, and transfer to an airtight container.

Enjoy this fresh homemade apple cider butter!!

Tips For Best Homemade Apple Cider

The Star ingredient of this recipe is apples. I prefer to mix a variety of apples such as Granny Smith, Gala, and Honey Crisp. They are ideal candidates for making homemade apple cider. The perfect balance of sweet-tart flavor. I use organic apples for this recipe. 

Use a fine-mesh strainer to strain the cider. Gently press the pulp to extract the liquid. You can also use a nut bag for finer cider. 

We love flavors of cinnamon, cloves, and star anise. However, nutmeg and all-spice also add great flavor to the cider. I use whole spices but you can also use ground spices. 

The flavor of the cider depends upon the variety of apples used. Use a combination of sweet-tart flavors for the best-tasting cider.

I use some maple syrup or honey to sweeten the cider. You can use the sweetener of your choice, and adjust to taste. 

I like to use the leftover pulp to make apple cider butter. It is so easy to make cider butter and tastes amazing. I have shared how to make cider butter in the recipe card below and the post as well.

I prefer to blend the pulp to a smooth puree, and then simmer the puree to the desired consistency. Add some maple syrup or brown sugar to taste, and some extra cinnamon for added flavor. Feel free to spice the butter as per liking. Nutmeg, all-spice, and cloves add a great flavor.

Pic Shown: Instant Pot Apple Cider 

Frequently Asked Questions

What apples to use?

I prefer to mix a variety of apples such as Granny Smith, Gala, and Honey Crisp. They are ideal candidates for making homemade apple cider. The perfect balance of sweet-tart flavor. I use organic apples for this recipe. 

Do you need to peel the apples?

I used organic apples for this recipe. I chose to leave the apple skin on. However, if you prefer, you can peel the skin and use the apples.

Can I use sugar substitute?

Yes, you can use the sweetener of your choice, and adjust to taste.

Where to find star anise?

Star anise adds a nice licorice flavor to the cider. It can be found in Asian / Indian grocery stores in the spices section. You can also find star anise in grocery stores with an International section, or on Amazon.

Why add ginger?

Ginger adds an aromatic, peppery, sweetness to the cider with its pungent, and fresh flavor. The lemony, citrusy, earthy flavor of ginger adds a warming taste to apple cider.

You can substitute ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger, instead of fresh ginger.

Can I use lemons or cranberries?

Yes, you can add some lemon along with oranges, to add a citrusy flavor to the cider. Lemon can be added at the time of pressure cooking. You can also add some lemon juice to taste, just before serving the cider.

Yes, you can use fresh or frozen cranberries for additional flavor. Around ½ cup of cranberries are good for this recipe.

Can I use orange juice instead of an orange?

Yes, you can add orange juice instead of an orange. Both work equally fine. Add ½-3/4 cup of fresh orange juice, instead of an orange.

Can you double the recipe?

Yes, you can double the recipe depending upon the size of the Instant Pot. Fill the pot up to the max mark.

What to do with leftover cider pulp?

Discard the orange peel and whole spices. Use the pulp in place of applesauce, in baking, or whip up some delicious pancakes, waffles, or smoothies.

Make apple butter using the pulp. Reduce the pulp, until all the moisture has evaporated and the mixture thickens quite a bit, just like butter consistency. Enjoy this fresh homemade apple butter on a slice of toast.

Pic Shown: Homemade Apple Cider Butter From Leftover Pulp

Fall Favorites

Pic Shown: Instant Pot Apple Cider